Care Package #12 - Take-A-Guess Pumpkin Bars

I've been wanting to make some home-made granola bars to send Brian, but didn't really like any of the recipes I found online. So I decided to just wing it and whip up my own recipe!

This could have been potentially devastating... I am used to eating super-healthy food that often tastes, shall we say, less than delicious. But how was Brian going to feel about these ultra-healthy, hardly-any-sweetener, very-strange-consistency snacks? I joked with one friend that these are so healthy that Brian just may be forced to break up with me! Luckily for me, he actually enjoyed them (or at least he said he did, which is good enough for me).

Take-A-Guess Pumpkin Bars

2 C homemade granola
1.5 C chopped dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries, etc)
1 C canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 TBS honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
.25 C whole wheat flour
Cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine the granola, dried fruit, flour and cinnamon (as much or as little as you'd like). In another bowl, combine pumpkin, egg, honey, vanilla and baking soda. Mix wet ingredients together well and then slowly stir in the granola mixture until just blended. Press into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pressing down well to compact it. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes. Let cool completely then cut into bars.

I think the whole effect would have been greatly improved by just stirring in some chocolate chips, which I think I will try next time!